{ When in doubt, give magazine subscriptions }

Heyyyy it’s 5 days ’til Christmas, and if you’re like me on a typical holiday schedule, you’ve probably forgotten to buy gifts your best friend, or you haven’t found the right thing for your boss who you love, or you’re just a few bucks away from filling that Secret Santa box. You know what comes in handy in times like these?

Magazine subscriptions!

Forget shopping and wrapping. Just grab a card and say, “Hey, I got you this magazine subscription.” And then every time an issue comes in the mail, your special person will think of you. [ Insert obligatory comment about “the gift that keeps on giving” here ] If you really want to wrap something, you could go to Barnes & Noble and buy the latest issue.

Here’s a short list of high-quality magazines that I sure would love to give some people (and then promptly borrow). Most of them are actually not stocked at Barnes & Noble, and that’s what makes them special. They fill niches that generalist newsstand publications don’t, and limited distribution = really hip.

{ FOR THE 20-SOMETHING }

The Intentional Quarterly is a literary and culture magazine pretty much aimed right at Millennials. They publish stimulating art and articles about everything from the sex trade to navigating neighbors of deep backwoods Ozarks.

And if you want to get super-niche about it, you might consider Intern magazine, meant to empower young interns in the creative industry through showcases and social dissection. They don’t seem to do print subscriptions, but you can get a digital one here.

{ FOR THE CULTURALLY CURIOUS }

The Outpost is a magazine of possibilities about the Middle East. It’s English-language, it’s intelligently designed, it’s engaging and well-reported, and the paper just feels great. If you can’t afford a trip to Beirut, I promise this will get you close.

{ FOR ANYONE }

n+1 is a print and digital magazine of literature, culture, and politics published three times a year. Each 200-page issue contains essays, fiction, translation, and reviews “by the best American writers you’ve never heard of.”

And then there’s the classic Harper’s, which is a great pick for a print subscription because they notoriously don’t publish their content online. Old-fashioned, perhaps, but that makes the physical book all the more valuable. Look for monthly political and cultural commentary, great longform journalism and fascinating ephemera.

{ FOR THE SCIENCE APPRECIATOR }

I say “science appreciator” because let’s face it, some scientists want only the facts. These are facts enhanced with culture and philosophy. The Nautilus Quarterlypublishes online and in print, and the print copy (from what I’m told) is worth the hefty price. It contains some of the online magazine’s best content, brand new original contributions from the world’s best thinkers, and gorgeous full-color full-page art (like the current issue, from Ralph Steadman).

{ FOR THE NATURE LOVER }

I received Orion as a gift from my cousin Kim for several years, and would subscribe it again if I weren’t still enjoying the back issues so much. Their tagline is “Nature, Culture, Place,” and their pages are filled with some of the country’s greatest contemporary nature writers.

{ FOR THE BUSINESS PERSON }

The problem with rich relatives is that they don’t really need anything. That’s where a good magazine comes in. You can say, “hey, I get what you’re about.” I don’t even run a business, but I do appreciate creativity and innovation, and I love to see what’s going on in the entrepreneurial world. I subscribe to Fast Company, and I love it. Also, it’s real cheap!

{ FOR THE MAKERS AND THE LADIES }

Slow lifestyle. Kinfolk has such features as “The Meaning of Light: interviews with a neuroscientist and an artist about the positive effects that sunlight can have on our well-being.” It seems like a heavier, yet airier Fast Company.

Oh Comely “inspires people to be creative, talk to their neighbours and explore new things. There are adventures that capture the feeling of being free, stories from people with tales to tell, recipes to warm your heart, and crafty things to make. All these things, wrapped up in beautiful words, illustration and photography.” Admittedly, I’ve only seen covers online and read their blog, but it looks like Country Living and Spin made a magazine baby that turned out way smarter and lovelier than its parents.